1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an automatic accompanying apparatus and an automatic accompanying method, and more specifically, to a technique capable of simplifying a setting operation required for performing an automatic accompaniment method with motifs of music players.
2. Description of the Related Art
In currently available electronic musical instruments, for instance, electronic keyboards, electronic organs, and electronic pianos, automatic accompanying apparatuses are introduced. A typical automatic accompanying apparatus executes an automatic accompaniment with using one rhythm selected from a plurality of rhythm. While such an automatic accompanying apparatus is employed, any users may perform melody musical plays and also chord musical plays in combination with automatically produced accompaniment sounds. An accompaniment pattern of each rhythm contains a basic pattern and an auxiliary pattern. This basic pattern constitutes a basic accompaniment pattern of rhythm. The basic pattern contains two to six sorts of variation patterns. A variation about one basic pattern is called as a basic variation pattern. Also, an auxiliary pattern corresponds to an auxiliary accompaniment pattern used to apply a change to an automatic accompaniment. This auxiliary pattern contains a fill-in pattern, an intro-pattern, and an ending pattern. Generally speaking, one sort of accompaniment pattern is prepared as an intro-pattern and an ending pattern with respect to each rhythm. To the contrary, a fill-in pattern contains plural variations, the number of which is equal to that of the variations of the above-explained basic patterns. Each of these plural variations is referred to as a fill-in variation.
Furthermore, each pattern of the above-described basic variation, fill-in variation, intro-variation, and ending variation is arranged by a plurality of musical parts such as a drum, a bass, an ACC1, and ACC2, and an ACC3. In this case, a drum part produces a drum sound. A bass part produces a bass sound. Each of an ACC part 1, an ACC part 2, and an ACC part 3 produces a chord sound and a melody sound. A part structure of each basic variation pattern, and each fill-in variation pattern is set in such a manner that a desirable part contained in the plural parts is muted by employing an operation panel.
In the case that the automatic accompaniment is carried out by this automatic accompanying apparatus, a user first selects desirable rhythm from a plurality of rhythm. Next, this user selects one basic variation pattern which is fitted to a motif of a music player from a plurality of basic variations related to the selected rhythm. Similarly, the user selects one fill-in variation pattern that is fitted to the motif of this music player from a plurality of fill-in variations related to the selected rhythm. The respective intro-pattern and ending pattern are automatically selected by selecting the desirable rhythm. Furthermore, the music player changes the respective part structures of the selected basic variation patterns and of the selected fill-in variation patterns so as to be fitted to the motif of this music player. When an intro-switch is depressed after the above-explained setting operation has been accomplished, the intro-musical play constructed of several musical phrases is commenced with the intro-pattern corresponding to the selected rhythm. Then, when this intro-musical play is ended, the basic musical play is repeatedly carried out with the previously selected basic variation pattern. When a fill-in switch is depressed while this basic musical play is repeated, the fill-in musical play constructed of only several musical phrases is carried out with the previously selected fill-in variation pattern. Thereafter, the basic musical play is again carried out. Then, while the basic musical play is carried out, when the ending switch is depressed, the ending musical play constructed of several musical phrases is carried out with the ending pattern corresponding to this rhythm. Thereafter, this automatic accompaniment is stopped.
The above-described conventional automatic accompanying apparatuses has the following problems. That is, even when the part structure of the basic variation pattern is changed so as to be matched with the motif of the musical player, the respective part structures of the intro-pattern and the ending pattern are not changed. As a result, the continuity between the intro-musical play and the basic musical play, and furthermore, the continuity between the basic musical play and the ending musical play will become unnatural. For example, even when the musical player mutes the ACC1 part and the ACC2 part in order to execute the quiet automatic accompaniment, both the ACC1 part and ACC2 part of the intro-pattern and the ending pattern are not muted. As a result, although the basic musical play is performed under quiet condition, since both the intro-musical play and the ending musical play are carried out under exciting condition, the overall musical play would become unnatural.
Also, a musical player may possibly change a basic variation pattern under use into another basic variation pattern that is matched with a motif of this musical player while a musical play is carried out. In this case, a fill-in variation pattern is also preferably changed into such a fill-in variation pattern suitable for the changed basic variation pattern. To this end, it is necessarily required to prepare a fill-in variation pattern having a part structure similar to that of the basic variation pattern. As a result, the setting operation that should be carried out before the musical play is performed would become complex, and cumbersome.